As the mom of a toddler, I often get asked “How is the little one?”. It’s usually a question asked in passing, small talk, rhetorical. And so I generally reply with something along the lines of, “Oh, she’s great -growing like a weed!” or “She’s a mess!”.

But if you have a few minutes, and maybe a cup of coffee… or maybe a glass of wine, the parents of most toddlers will tell you that “great” doesn’t really describe their little one. That “growing” doesn’t exactly express the roller coaster that is the day-to-day life of a toddler.

At this age, Rory is a tiny tornado. She’s a whirlwind, and a sponge. Her wonder at the tiniest things helps me to slow down, and to stop and to see. She’s constantly asking “What’s that?” and exploring her world as she flits through each experience. And for Rory every day truly is an adventure. But sometimes those adventures are a bit too much and she crashes, hard. Her whole world goes gray and rumbly and she needs cuddles and time to breathe in and out. But in true toddler fashion, she gets right back up and on to the next “what’s that” and “why?”.

So if I were to be honest when the next person asks me how my little one is, rather than saying “great,” I’d tell them this… that she’s sunshine and starshine and a thunderstorm all rolled into one. Today’s Freebie Friday is inspired by my little Rory and I think I may just hang it over her bed. This print is available in my Etsy shop, but as a follower of my blog, you can get it free today!

Does this describe your little one, or another woman in your life? Click here to open in a separate window where you can save to your device or print.